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No Gayle, Bravo for first Test against India

Kingston:Chris Gayle continues to be ignored for selection following an unproductive meeting with the WICB management on June 14 and has been left out of the squad for the first Test against India at Sabina Park. The only change to the squad chosen for the St. Kitts Test against Pakistan is Trinidad opener Adrian Barath replacing Barbados opener Kraigg Brathwaite. This meant there was no place for allrounder Dwayne Bravo as well.

Bravo had skipped the Test series against Pakistan, after playing the ODIs, to play the IPL. He returned for the one-day series against India and played the first two games before asking to be rested for the remaining three. Bravo had said he wanted to “refocus, reflect” and “rejoin the team for the beginning of the Test series.” Apart from Bravo, there was also no place for allrounder Andre Russell, who impressed during the one-dayers against India.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who missed the second Test against Pakistan because of injury and was omitted from the limited-overs matches against India, was included in the squad. The WICB, however, said it would meet with Chanderpaul before the first Test.

“Following communications between WICB management and Chanderpaul over the past weeks the WICB management and team management will meet with Shivnarine Chanderpaul prior to the Test,” the board said. “The WICB management and team management will outline to Chanderpaul the WICB’s expectations of him in his future participation in the West Indies team as a player.”

Barath had suffered a hamstring injury in the lead-up to the 2011 World Cup and had been out of action since. He made his return in the final ODI against India at Sabina Park. The first Test against India begins on June 20.